


You're the only place that feels like home.

by rosmarine



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-05-28 15:42:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15052469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosmarine/pseuds/rosmarine
Summary: “It’s fine,” says Michael. “Everything is fine. We won’t die or anything, I’m pretty sure.”During Christine's grad party, Michael and Jeremy get locked in a closet together. Featuring glow in the dark sneakers, Teddy Grahams, and talking about what hurts.





	You're the only place that feels like home.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [justwannabeafangirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/justwannabeafangirl/gifts).



> Eternal gratitude for justwannabeafangirl, who is actually my biggest fan.

“It’s fine,” says Michael. “Everything is fine. We won’t die or anything, I’m pretty sure.”

Of all the bad decisions Jeremy has ever made, this has got to be one of the worst. Including the time he tried the cinnamon challenge and vomited in Michael’s bedroom. 

“So what do we do now?” asks Michael. His voice emanates from somewhere behind Jeremy’s left shoulder, mixing with the muffled sound of hip-hop music coming from downstairs. 

“We could try kicking in the lock?” says Jeremy.

“Nah, I wouldn’t want to damage Christine’s door.” Michael’s backed up, but it could only have been a hair’s breadth. There isn’t any more room. “Unless you would?” asks Michael.

Jeremy shakes his head, but it’s useless in the dark. “No, Michael. Christine’s too sweet.”

“Well, so are you and she still broke your heart.”

Sometimes, Jeremy thought Michael was angry enough for the both of them. They shared everything else, anyways. Was it so far fetched that they shared emotions, too?

“No, she didn’t,” mutters Jeremy. “And shouldn't you be more pissed that your glow-in-the-dark sneakers don’t actually glow in the dark?” Jeremy places a palm flat against the wall. There’s just enough room in the alcove to slide to the floor, the plush carpet cushioning him. What does Christine even store in here, anyways? The only thing Jeremy had noticed when he flung open the door was a lone shoe-organizer filled with nail polish. 

Yeah, going to his ex-girlfriend’s graduation party may not have been the best idea. But Jeremy and Christine were still friends. They still ran lines together and shared earbuds listening to Dear Evan Hansen during Calculus. But knowing this might be the last time he’d see Christine before she left for college made Jeremy’s chest twist. So, when Michael nudged his shoulder during the last round of Cards Against Humanity and asked if Jeremy wanted to see if his new hi tops really glowed in the dark, Jeremy threw in his hand and passed all his black cards to Christine. 

Denim tickles Jeremy’s forearm. He can picture Michael stretched out across from him, mirroring his position. 

The crinkling of paper fills the air, and Jeremy catches a whiff of watermelon. 

“Dude,” he says, “did you have a stash of tootsie pops that you were holding out on me?”

“Sorry, buddy, I only brought one. In case there weren’t any mixers, you know?”

Jeremy’s mouth moistens. He hadn’t eaten since breakfast, he had been too nervous for the party.

“Do you want a lick?” asks Michael.

“Sure,” says Jeremy. He reaches out blindly until he catches the sleeve of Michael’s sweatshirt. Jeremy takes the lollipop and sticks it in his mouth.

“Eww, Michael,” he says, his words garbled, “it’s still warm.”

Michael’s laugh fills the space, and Jeremy hands back the lollipop. 

“How long do you think we’re going to be here?” asks Jeremy. 

“I don’t know. It’s the last grad party of the summer, someone’ll probably have one of those ‘bang before you have the onset responsibility of an adult’ moments of desperation and take someone up here to do the diddly.”

Jeremy’s heart pounds, and he swallows thickly. “Yeah. It’s a good thing neither of us are claustrophobic.”

 “Well, yeah, but we used to do this kind of thing all the time as kids.”

A grin spreads across Jeremy’s face. “Yeah. Except we’re missing a few things. Like that spooky ghost book, the teddy grahams, and a flashlight.”

“Who says I don’t have teddy grahams?” There’s the sound of plastic crinkling, and Jeremy’s hit in the face with a plastic bag.

“Michael Mell, you are a magical boy,” Jeremy says, tearing open the plastic and grabbing a fistful. “What else do you keep in your sweatshirt?”

“Secrets.” 

The entire closet smells like watermelon and the tea Michael's mom makes. Candy and Michael. Jeremy swallows a dry mouthful of teddy grahams. He’s trapped in the closet with his best friend. There is no irony lost on him.

“You know,” says Michael, “now that we’re in a confined space together and being completely honest, I need to get something off of my chest.”

Oh, god. Jeremy’s entire life flashes before his eyes, and Michael’s in most of it. Jeremy can’t swallow anymore because he knows for a fact that Michael is going to tell him off for giving a half-assed apology after the squip incident, or for taking two full weeks after to spend time with him alone again, or for trying to hold his hand on the car ride here.

Okay, so maybe Jeremy’s a little impulsive. But it’s the last grad party of the summer, and maybe Jeremy had a little bit of a ‘bang before you have the onset responsibility of an adult’ crisis when he was standing in front of his bedroom mirror and realized that he was picking out a nice outfit with someone in mind who  _ wasn’t _ Christine.

Michael says, “I think you and Christine made a great couple, and I don’t think we should’ve come to this party.”

For a second, Jeremy doesn’t understand Michael's words. Then, Jeremy laughs. 

“No,” he says, “we didn’t. And the breakup was mutual. Didn’t I tell you? I was being kind of stupid. I mean, why would I want to date someone I’ve never even talked to? I put her on a pedestal.”

Silence fills the closet, and Jeremy can hear the song change downstairs. A bright laugh echoes through the wall.

“Jeremy, that’s the most clear-headed thing that’s ever come out of your mouth.”

“Well, I––uh,” says Jeremy. He squeezes his eyes shut. “Thank you.”

Suddenly, it’s hard for Jeremy to be this close to Michael. To be stuck right here beside him in the dark, barely touching, passing the time with sentimental talks. 

Between the two of them, it’s never been this way before.

#

Brooke finds them. Michael dozes off, but Jeremy hears the sound of hinges squeaking and starts banging on the closet door.

“Oh, sorry,” she says, “did you two have dibs on the spare bedroom? We can leave.”

Jeremy notices Chloe peeking out from behind Brooke. They’re holding hands. 

“What? No, it’s––we weren’t––” 

“Jeremy? We outtie?”

Jeremy swivels. He can make out Michael, stretching his arms above his head in a yawn. His glasses are still lying on his stomach and Jeremy remembers what it’s like to see Michael first thing in the morning, after an absolutely wild night of video games and second rate weed.

“Yeah, Michael,” Jeremy says, his voice soft, “we outtie.”

Jeremy and Michael brush shoulders as they walk through the rotting carcass of the party. If he and Christine were still dating, he’d probably stay and help her get the beer stains out of the rug. But Christine can handle it by herself. Jeremy and Michael each give her a hug before they’re out the door.

They’re on the front porch when Jeremy walks into a solid mass. A red solid mass that smells like Michael.

“Can we just––” Michael trails off.

“What is it, Michael?”

Michael turns around. It’s almost midnight, and the lights of Christine’s front reflect yellow and pink off of Michael’s lenses. 

“Want to go for a walk before we hit it?” says Michael. “You know, stretch our legs. I could play some tunes, and we probably won’t be chased by any dogs.”

Jeremy nods, shoving his hands in his pocket. They walk on the sidewalk, and the air is cool enough for Jeremy to shiver.

A block down, Jeremy’s phone buzzes. He swipes to unlock it.

“Huh,” he says, “apparently Rich heard about our debacle.”

_ How’d you and your homeboy get stuck in a closet together? _

Jeremy types out,  _ when we get together we do stupid things  _ and sends it. He sticks his phone back into his pocket.

“Tell him we were making out.”

Jeremy trips on the uneven concrete, stumbling onto the grass. Michael laughs at him, the traitorous bastard.

“I don’t want to say that!”

“Why not? Are you saying you wouldn’t want to make out with me in a closet?”

Jeremy wraps a hand around the tree trunk next to him, pulling himself up.

“No, Michael,” he says, “that’s not what I’m saying at all.”

Michael stills. His eyes flit upwards to meet Jeremy’s, and Jeremy’s head is buzzing.

“So are you saying,” Michael answers, “that we may have just wasted a golden opportunity?”

Jeremy nods, and he’s leaning down. He and Michael meet exactly in the middle, and their noses squish together. Jeremy pulls back, resting his hands on Michael’s shoulders. It doesn’t feel perfect, but it doesn’t matter. Michael tastes like watermelon and tea, and Jeremy wants it bottled up and put on his bedside table.

“Hey Michael?”

“Yeah, Jeremy?”

“Do your shoes actually glow in the dark?”

Michael tenses. He pushes his glasses onto the bridge of his nose, and his gaze drops to the sidewalk.

“Nope. But I swear, I didn’t mean for the door to jam!”

Jeremy lets out a laugh, wrapping an arm around Michael’s shoulders.

“It wasn’t the worst way to spend a Friday night,” says Jeremy. “Want to go play Assassin’s Creed?”

“You read my mind.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading <3


End file.
